Bailey Falter was strong on the mound and Joshua Palacios was solid at the plate and in the field as the Pirates evened their series with the Nationals. Joe Block has the story.
Manager Derek Shelton says Falter has been stellar in multiple roles since being acquired from the Phillies.
Shelton says Palacios brings a lot to the Pirates, and it showed last night.
Palacios says he’s been working on his approach at the plate.
Shelton says Oneil Cruz’s rehab from a fractured ankle suffered in April is “continuing to go well”, but the team has run out of time and has pulled the plug on the shortstop’s return to game action this season. The team and Cruz will concentrate on devising a plan for the offseason, which could include the Arizona Fall League or winter ball in his native Dominican Republic. Speaking through his interpreter, Cruz said he is going to “set (his) bar high…and do things (he) can’t even imagine right now.” He played in only nine games this season before suffering the injury.
Quinn Priester returns from Indianapolis to make the start for the Pirates tonight. The right-handed former number one draft choice was just 2-2 with a 9.10 ERA in six starts before being sent down to Indy last month. Since going back to Indy, he’s had a 2.66 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 20-and-a-third innings. Priester was added to the Pirates’ taxi squad yesterday and the team will have to make an active roster move to allow him to pitch tonight. It will be a 6:10 airtime, 6:35 first pitch on WCCS.
Henry Davis is still not back with the Pirates but he continues to hit well in his rehab stint with Indianapolis. The former top overall MLB draft pick had two more hits last night in a 10-6 win over Omaha, including a home run.
ALTOONA CURVE
Altoona could muster only three hits but still managed to beat Akron last night, 3-2. Connor Scott, Chavez Young, and Jackson Glenn all singled for the Curve and Carter Bins drove in the game-winner with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, making a winner out of reliever Geronimo Franzua. Cameron Junker got a two-inning save.
Right-hander Sean Sullivan starts for the Curve tonight in his final appearance of the season.
